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Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

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Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#21

Post by jostylr »

throwaway781 wrote: post #17

Currently in my first year teaching in an urban school. It's hard to describe how physically/mentally/emotionally draining it is. I went through an alternate certification program and was put in front of a class after a six week summer program. I am amazed that this is acceptable.

You've been given the task of controlling lots of kids, squishing their natural learning desires and ways. This should be draining as it is against the ways of how we evolved.

See for example http://www.salon.com/2013/08/26/school_is_a_prison_and_damag...

Despite your best intentions, coercive schooling is not a good thing. There are better ways, such as Sudbury schooling, that are both respectful of children and actually prepare them for the world that we live in.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#22

Post by ddorian43 »

threatofrain wrote: post #20

I have had some past association with an education franchise, and I'd say that the biggest thing stopping an American teacher from doing better in specifically math and science is probably classroom logistics. When you are paired 1:1 with a young person of peer-ish intelligence, the speed at which you can teach them specific math skills and principles can be exciting for both involved. But most people cannot afford 1…

Which country affords 1:1 ?

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#23

Post by Haul4ss »

I can't help but think there's a Submarine[1] effect going on with reporting on public schools in the U.S.

The U.S. is a huge country with a heterogeneous population spanning a wide swath of the socioeconomic continuum. To say "teaching is bad" as a blanket statement is intellectually dishonest, to the point where I think some organization(s) intentionally push this meme in the media to further their own purposes.

I agree with taking the profession of teaching more seriously (as if anybody is opposed to such a thing). How best to do that is what we'll probably never agree on.

[1] http://paulgraham.com/submarine.html

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#24

Post by bostonvaulter2 »

general_failure wrote: post #13

And yet they are the worlds leading economy and tech center of the word. Can some explain this paradox?

Not to mention that even with all the H1B nonsense the US is still able to attract many of the worlds best-and-brightest (or nearly so) from other countries. There are definitely large network effects in play as well.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#25

Post by themartorana »

dagw wrote: post #18
general_failure wrote: post #13

And yet they are the worlds leading economy and tech center of the word. Can some explain this paradox?

Their (good) universities are very good and not all their schools are bad. A percentage of kids in the US do go to genuinely great schools, and then there is another group that due to various factors manage to get a decent basic education despite the school system. Due to the large US population, in absolute terms these two groups are quite large. Now feed these people through a genuinely world class higher education…

I think there's also an important bit of learning attached to independent thinking and problem solving. Some programs, like many Asian countries, overly-rely on rote learning. The schools that I went through - NJ public schools in the 80s and 90s - had many teachers that focused on teaching me/us how and why to learn in good balance with factual rote learning.

Now with all of the focus on standardized testing, I worry the focus on independent thinking and problem solving is all but destroyed. Teachers now have what I consider "mandatory sentencing" with no room to inspire - only time to teach the test and shuffle kids through.

You might see some of that US magic fade away this generation. I hope not.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#26

Post by awinder »

hpaavola wrote: post #6
cies wrote: post #2

i did not read the article, just quickly scanned through. but the answer to my best knowledge is: 1) it isn't always that bad, if you pay the premium for private education you can get some of the best education available in the world 2) the people who pay for private schools also pay a significantly larger share of the taxes 3) those taxes pay for the public schools thus: public teaching is bad because the ones that…

Yes. Services used only or mainly by the poor, tend to be poor.

But public education is not a service used primarily by the poor unless you have an extremely broad definition of poor. I believe the figure is around 10% of children are in private education.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#27

Post by seanmcdirmid »

awinder wrote: post #26
hpaavola wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Services used only or mainly by the poor, tend to be poor.

But public education is not a service used primarily by the poor unless you have an extremely broad definition of poor. I believe the figure is around 10% of children are in private education.

Education is segregated in the states by rich and poor districts; it is a felony to enroll your kid in the wrong school.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#28

Post by seanmcdirmid »

Shivetya wrote: post #7

because politicians, nor school administrators, nor teachers, are required, to send their own children through the system. It certainly isn't a lack of money. Some city school systems spend more than it cost to get an college education per student. We simply spend too much money on everything but having more teachers. It is not about paying teachers enough, its about hiring enough teachers. Instead it goes to adminis…

Spending on schooling is not equitable across school districts. So poor schools get less funding per student than rich schools, and predictably do much worse. On average there doesn't look there is a problem with funding, but that is deceptive.

Re: Why Is American Teaching So Bad?

#29

Post by TheBeardKing »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #28
Shivetya wrote: post #7

because politicians, nor school administrators, nor teachers, are required, to send their own children through the system. It certainly isn't a lack of money. Some city school systems spend more than it cost to get an college education per student. We simply spend too much money on everything but having more teachers. It is not about paying teachers enough, its about hiring enough teachers. Instead it goes to adminis…

Spending on schooling is not equitable across school districts. So poor schools get less funding per student than rich schools, and predictably do much worse. On average there doesn't look there is a problem with funding, but that is deceptive.

This is exactly right. The Atlantic published an excellent article regarding school funding and its tie-ins to standardized testing: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/07/why-poor...
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